Alarm clock



ALARM CLOCK Filed April 5. 1923 ON OFF ON Edie. 5

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@ w 25 22 I g 8 attozucq Patented July 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY WONG, a citizen of China, residin at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarm Clocks, of which th following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain improvements in alarm clocks and has particular reference to an electrical device therefor whereby when the alarm of the clock rings at a pie-determined time, an electric light will simultaneously be lighted; this constituting the principal object of my invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the electrical device may be set to operate either the light or the alarm at a pre-determined time, both simultaneously, or the light may be switched on and off independently of the action of the clock.

Further minor objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of the invention, which is finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying draw ing, forming part of this application, in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a wiring diagram of the device:

Figure 2 is a side elevation of an alarm escapment common to alarm clocks:

Figure 3 is an exterior view of the clock showing the possible shifts of the operating lever:

Figure 4 is a panel therefor;

Figure 5 is a plan View of a clock, showing but part of the works therefor, and the switch and panel in dotted lines; and

Fi re 6 is a plan view of the switch and plan view of the switch and pane showing the reverse side to that illustrated in Figure 4.

1 represents the casing of the clock to which the inner skeleton frame 2 is securely attached as is common. The minute hand of the clock is mounted upon the central shaft 3, while the hour hand is mounted upon a sleeve on the same shaft and is operated by the hour hand gear 4, which meshes with the intermediate pinion 5, which in turn meshes with the alarm gear 6 supported upon the shaft 7. The gear wheel 6 is provided with a ratchet hub 8 and superimposed thereupon on the extreme end of the shaft 7 is the retaining dog 9. Just beneath the gear 6 is the leaf s ring 10, fixed in any desired manner to t e frame of the clock, the free end of which continually bears upwardly aga1nst the gear 6 thus keepin it at all times bearing against the dog 9. he extreme free end of the 5 ring 10 is also normally in engagement with the wire 11, fixed to th alarm hammer shaft 12, which 18 reciprocated by the alarm escapement indicated at 13, as is common.

To set the alarm, the shaft 7, which also supports the alarm hand of the clock, will be turned until the hand indicates on the dial the time at which it is desired to have the alarm ring, and the dog 9 will also revolve upon the shaft 7 in exactly the same manner and simultaneously with the moving of the hand. Thus when the clock begins to run, the gear 6 together with the ratchet hub 8 wil begin to slowly revolve upon the shaft 7, and when the shoulder 14 in its revolution passes the dog 9, the spring 10 will force the gear 6 outwardly,

thus breaking the engagement of the spring a with the wire 11, when the alarm escapement will be freed and will reciprocate the alarm hammer until it is either shut off or the spring becomes wholly unwound; this all being common to the ordinary alarm clock.

Now my invention resides in installing the arcuately shaped switch and panel 15, the same having the switch lever 16 pivoted centrally thereupon as at 17, and there are three binding posts or contactors at each end of the panel, to which the switch may be selectively engaged; the binding posts being indicated at 18, 19 and 20, and 21, 22 and 23. The panel is securely attached in any desired manner to the inner face of the casing 1 of the clock, and an arcuatel shaped opening 24 is cut therein through which the handle 25 may protrude for manual regulation of the'switch. Securely fixed to the panel, on the inner face thereof is the spring contact member 26, it consistin of two spaced resilient members, insulate from each'other, one of which is positioned adjacent the springlO, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

From the wiring diagram, Figure 1, it will be noted that one side of the source of supply is connected to the light 27 and thence to the binding posts or contactors 18 and 20; while the other side of the power line is attached to the post 23 and one of the members 26, the other one being connected to the post 21. It will thus be obvious that while the switch 16 is in the position shown in Figure 1, the light will be lighted continuousl and if in the position shown in dotted hnes, Figure 1, the light will be out, as the circuit is broken. But let us assume that the switch is in the position shown in Fi re 4, when it will be apparent that the lig t cannot be lighted except by closlng the circuit through the resilient members 26, which can only be accomplished by the 5 ring 10 when the shoulder 14 passes the 0g 9 and the alarm gear 6 1s forced outwardly, thus simultaneously releasing the alarm escapement, as previously. described, and also making the contact between the two resilient members 26, thus causing the circuit to be closed and the light lighted.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an exceedingly simple and practical illuminating device to be used in connection with an alarm clock, not the least advantage of which is the fact that one would not have to grope in the dark to locate the clock when the alarm had started ringing, and it will of course be understood that various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

It will be noted that when the alarm begins to ring and the light is simultaneously lighted, the light will remain lighted until the spring 10 is forced downwardly by the action of the ratchet hub on the gear 6, thus allowingthe resilient members 26 to separate thereby breaking the circuit to the light.

Normallyv it will take about two hours for the ratchet to move the required distance downwardly against the spring 10 to' allow the members 26 to separate, the length of time depending upon the distance the members are set apart, and it may be found desirable to provide some means so that this distance may be regulated. Therefore I Patent is:

1. The combination with an alarm clock having a sound producing alarm thereupon and an electric light and circuit therefor co operatively connected therewith, and a manually controlled switch comprising a plurality of selective terminals whereby the light may be caused to function independently of the alarm, with the alarm, or neither, of means within the electric light circuit for regulating the duration thereof comprising two normally parallel spaced resilient terminals, the action of one of which towards the other is governed by'the clock mechan'ism, and means for manually adjusting the other to determine the spaced relation thereof for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a circular alarm clock having a sound producing alarm thereupon and an electric light circuit therefor cooperatively connected therewith, of an arcuately shaped switch member installed within the circumferential wall of the clock,

said switch member comprising a panel carrying a plurality of terminals at either end thereof, a switch member pivotally supported upon the panel intermediate of the terminals, and means attached to. one end of the switch for operating same protruding through the circumferential wall of the clock.

signature.

, HARRY WONG.

. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my 

